“Highly Recommended” Judge John Anderson is No Stranger to Adversity

In a world where success stories often follow a predictable trajectory, there are those whose paths to achievement defy convention and provide inspiration. Such is the case of appellate court candidate and local judge John Anderson, whose journey from homelessness and humble beginnings to the bench exemplifies the triumph of resilience and determination.

Anderson started out as a poor student, barely graduating from high school and having had to attend summer school every year. He eventually changed his approach to education and now has two master’s degrees and two law degrees, making him perhaps the most well-educated judge in Illinois.

He was also homeless once. His parents lost their home in a foreclosure lawsuit, and he went to live on his friend’s couch in a Joliet apartment.

“It wasn’t great,” he explained. “There were the occasional cockroaches, but it was a roof over my head.”

It was tragedy that caused Anderson to turn his life around. In 1991, his uncle was murdered. It caused Anderson to reevaluate his life and the choices he was making, and he decided to go to community college and get his degree.

“I do not know where I would be today if it weren’t for the educational opportunities offered by community college.”

Today, Anderson has degrees from Duke Law School and the University of Notre Dame, among several others.

When his uncle’s killer was found not guilty by reason of insanity, it inspired Anderson to pursue a legal career.

“I was put on a mission to see justice,” he said.

Anderson has been on the bench for 13 years, and hears chancery cases. He is perhaps the most high-profile of the Will County judges hearing civil cases.

Recent rulings involve a $15 million wrongful death case involving the passing of Samantha Harer, a $110,000 restaurant case, and the removal from office of a Joliet Township Trustee who had been convicted of multiple felonies.

Judge Anderson’s peers in the legal community have taken notice of his work. He is often lauded for his legal writing skills, and the Illinois Bar Association awarded him a “highly recommended” rating for appellate court—the only one of seven appellate court candidates to receive this coveted nod.

In 2018, he was named “Judicial Officer of the Year” by the Illinois State Crime Commission.

“Many of the rights that we hold dear are under attack,” Anderson explained when asked why he seeks elevation to the appellate court.

“In many states, people are using the court system to restrict reproductive rights, the right to vote, the right to read the books you want to read, and even the right to love who you choose to love,” he said. “Those rights are protected in this state, and if elected, I will continue to respect those rights under Illinois law.”

Anderson is running in the third appellate district, which includes all of DuPage, Will, LaSalle, Grundy, Kankakee, Iroquois, and Bureau counties.